Best Hotels and Resorts in Maui
Find the Hotel that is Right for You, be it Budget or Luxury
Dec 29, 2006
You've done the research, and you know that Maui is the best vacation island in the South Pacific, if not the world. So you plan your next vacation to be in Maui. Great! But where are you going to stay? With all those top resorts and great hotels to choose from, at least one should be the right fit for your travel needs.
From budget trips to luxury resort vacations, here are my top hotel picks for Maui. One (or more) is sure to be the right fit for your Hawaii vacation needs.
- The best beaches on Maui are the best in Hawaii, and those best beaches are in the high-end luxury resort beach town of Wailea. This south shore part of Maui has the three most upscale resorts on the island, because developers know a good thing when they see it! The three jewels of Wailea are The Fairmont Kea Lani, The Four Seasons, and Grand Wailea. A couple of mid-range hotels, like the Marriott Renaissance, are in Wailea as well. The Fairmont Kea Lani, it is generally agreed, has the best seafood restaurant on Maui - Nick's Fish Market - while Zagat's named the full-service day spa at the Four Seasons the best spa in the world. That's right, in the world! Wailea is the top luxury resort area on Maui, and my favorite as well.
- Just east of Wailea is Makena, which feels more remote and has the hard, sharp lava rock formations on the beaches and inland. This makes it uncomfortable to be barefoot, but the relative remoteness of Makena can be refreshing for tourists who want to "get away from it all." My favorite resort hotel in Makena is the Maui Prince: In truth, the Maui Prince Hotel is the only hotel in Makena with which I'm familiar. Great views of Kahoolawe, and nearby islands Molokai and Molokini are easily had here, and nearby La Perouse Bay is frequented by giant sea turtles and dolphins. The golf course at the Maui Prince Hotel has won many awards, and is always on lists of the top 100 golf courses in the world.
- To the west, and north, of Wailea is Kihei. This is one of my favorite towns in Hawaii, with real stores (and, yes, tourist traps, too) and casual dining. In Kihei, the mellow friendliness particular to Hawaiian culture is evidenced at every turn. Go to South Kihei Drive for downscale, beachy eats - for example, a cheap place to grab a fresh, fast lunch with the locals is a Maui Tacos. We stood on line and ordered our fish tacos while barefoot; it felt great. The hotels in Kihei are like the town: Not upscale, but affordable and casual. My favorite is a boutique hotel, the Pineapple Inn, about a mile from the beach. It's clean and cheap (near a highway), well maintained and friendly. It's not a resort hotel by any stretch, but it helps stretch your travel dollars, and it's much nicer than a motor-inn style budget hotel.
- Northwest of Kihei are Lahaina and Kaanapali. Lahaina and Kaanapali are on West Maui, where the beaches aren't as great as they are on East Maui. Lahaina has a Westin (near Whalers Village), a Hyatt Regency that many families enjoy, plus an indoor shoppping mall and many other touristy experiences. I prefer Kehei and Wailea. However, the Hyatt Regency Resort & Spa in Kaanapali (just north of Lahaina) is popular with many people. While it gets crowded, the kids don't seem to mind. A little too noisy for my tastes, Kaanapali and Lahaina are really busy hubs in general. Some people like to vacation where there are lots of kids, lots of noise and generally, a very lively feel to a hotel. The Hyatt Regency in Kaanapali, and the town of Lahaina, are good fits for this type of trip. A better budget vacation in Kihei, or more a luxury stay in Wailea, would fit better for those who prefer a calm Hawaiian vacation.
- The road to Hana is a popular tourist attraction and day trip. Some people who vacation in Maui are so enchanted with Hana that they return the next year, to stay there. The Hotel Hana Maui is back on East Maui, but on the north shore (Wailea is on the south shore). It is a remote retreat: Hotel Hana Maui has only 66 rooms, and is private and removed, not unlike the Maui Prince. Hana is a rain forest, by the way, so while a vacation at this hotel is utterly romantic, prepare to spend part of nearly every day undercover.
For Maui travel with a budget in mind, you can get more than what you pay for. Kihei is easier for budget travel, but off-season deals are still to be had at one of the three jewels of Wailea; The Fairmont Kea Lani gets tourists a surprising amount of bang for the buck.
My favorite hotels and resorts on Maui are either on the ocean, or are a quick drive to the beach. Whichever is right for you, a vacation in Maui is bound to be wonderful. It's the best tropical vacation island to many, including me. Mahalo!
Related, on Suite 101:
The Fairmont Kea Lani in Wailea
Maui - The Best Island in the World
Best Resort Hotels for Children in Hawaii
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